I have returned from an unplanned trip to the Philippines, flying through Seoul, South Korea, to get there. When I was in Seoul, both coming and going, I was asked whether I had been in China. I hadn’t. When I arrived in Cebu, in the Philippines, I was asked the same. I also had to fill out a health questionnaire, again stating that I hadn’t been to China, but also giving them my email address, my phone number while in the country, and what seat I was in on the aircraft. I was confident, if someone had COVID-19 on our flight, I would have been informed and required to undergo testing.

When I arrived back in the United States, the agent asked why I had filled out the phone app in-processing for entry into the country since I had Global Entry. No questions about where I had been. No questions about how long I had been in Korea. Nothing.

The reports when I returned from the states showed that the number of people found infected with COVID-19 in South Korea had increased to 1200. S. Korea shut its schools down for 2 weeks, to try to contain the virus. They had also instituted ‘drive-in’ testing for the virus.

In the Philippines, I spent most of my time outside the cities, and never in Manilla, so I was feeling pretty secure that I hadn’t been infected there. I bought a mask in the airport in Seoul and wore it on the return flight, as did everyone else (that I could see) on the plane. 

I had brought sanitary wipes before I left on the off chance that there would be an issue. I wiped down everything I’d be touching on each plane I boarded: armrests, tray tables, touch screen displays. I washed my hands often.

When I returned to the States, I considered being tested. But, from what I read on the CDC website, I would need to call my health care provider, explain that I might have been exposed to COVID-19, and asked to be tested. My health care provider would have had to clear their office of all other patients before I came in. And I wouldn’t find out for two days whether or not I had been exposed and was contagious.

My sick leave had been used up for my unexpected trip since that’s the way my employer handles bereavement, so I had none to use to self-quarantine. I have tried to keep my distance from my fellow employees. I have coughed and sneezed into the crook of my arm ‘vampire style’ (I’m plagued with allergies, so this is not a symptom for me). If I do happen to run a fever, I will get myself checked out. In the meantime, I’ll just try to limit exposure to my fellow human beings.

I worried about contact with my grandchildren. But it seems that children have not been severely affected. I worry about contact with my husband, who had a partial lung removed several years ago. I worry about my cat since there is no certainty that the disease cannot be spread back and forth between humans and animals.

By the time you read this, I will have passed the two weeks since exposure and everything will be fine. But maybe not. Maybe I’ll be ‘patient zero’ in my community.